the circle and circular things frequently appear in your ptngs—what are they about? Circular marks feel like familiar characters, and the repetition and patterns create new places. The circles could be stars from getting up too fast, or could be bubbles, cookies, plates, zits, marshmallows, tabletops, bugs—or just paint.

.have you any interest in making completely abstract ptngs? Yes, but I can never figure out how to finish them.

.how about completely representational still lives? No, the way the paintings get made now is open enough to allow me to be in the middle of the mess of them. I need the abstraction to allow the surprises.

.the images of things seem to function differently than areas or blotches of color, would you comment on how you use them or see them functioning? For the most part, the images allow viewers to rest. The relationship between images also creates space.

.you've used a lot of pink and red, both colors with a great deal of resonance; how decided is their use? Colors that vibrate and pop are always the ones I choose, and if they have extra associations, that’s all the better.

.what have been the key developments in these recent ptngs that separate them from earlier works? This set of paintings spent more time in an emptier state but ended up being pulled back into more defined places. They are getting brighter all the time with more white and less dirt.

.would you comment on how you see tighter and looser paint application functioning side by side in the same ptng? They both need to be there to balance each other out.

.floating, there is lots of floating in these most recent paintings. i know its been there before but not this strong. might this be related to you pushing your and our awareness of air, light, and space? Horizon lines have disappeared but elements of framing are still very present. My question is how to get more light into them.

.your compositions generally seem to be concerned with all-overness, or at least multifocal. there is quite a dance going on. is this based in your experience of the day-to-day? I'm still trying to make the paintings spin and wiggle and move as much as possible.

.many of the food items in the paintings are there on the reg, yet some are first timers. are there foods youd like to include but havent found a place for? if so, what are some of them? why/how difficult is it to introduce a new food? Usually, I don't paint half eaten or beige food, and I favor things with eyes or frosting. I have been wanting to paint a pheasant but haven't yet figured out where to put it. .do you consider your paintings humorous and delightful? do you experience those things while making them? do you think your color and subject matter encourages people not to take them seriously? I do think they can be dismissed as cheerful, but that is just one component of the work. I would like them to physically tackle viewers--without hurting anyone, of course.